Monitoring product integrity of a pharmaceutical product in a syringe using a miniaturized electronic sensor tag
The package for a pharmaceutical product includes a syringe and an electronic tag for obtaining information relating to the integrity of the product as assessed from an exposure of said product to physical or environmental conditions during a time span. The tag is attached at or to a constituent of the syringe; or at least a portion of the tag is integrated in a constituent of the syringe. The tag includes an electronics unit having a control unit, a sensor unit having at least one sensor for monitoring the physical or environmental conditions, a display unit having a display for displaying data relating to the integrity referred to as status data and a switch. The control unit is structured and configured for effecting that the display unit displays the status data in reaction to an operation of the switch.
1. A package for a pharmaceutical product, said package comprising
a syringe;
an electronic tag for obtaining information relating to the integrity of the product as assessed from an exposure of said product to physical or environmental conditions during a time span;
wherein
said tag is attached at or to a constituent of said syringe; and said tag comprising a main part comprising an electronics unit comprising
a control unit;
a sensor unit comprising at least one sensor for monitoring said physical or environmental conditions;
a display unit comprising a display for displaying data relating to said integrity referred to as status data; and
wherein a foil bonded to said constituent of said syringe holds said main part between itself and said constituent of said syringe.
2. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said constituent of said syringe is a plunger top.
3. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said constituent of said syringe is a barrel of said syringe.
4. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said constituent of said syringe is a constituent of a plunger arrangement of said syringe.
5. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said foil is a polymer foil.
6. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said main part is sandwiched between said foil and said constituent of said syringe.
7. The package according to claim 1 , wherein the package comprises a pressing surface for operating said syringe by pressing against said pressing surface, and wherein said pressing surface is provided by said tag, and wherein said switch is structured and arranged in such a way that it is operated when pressure is exerted against said pressing surface for operating the syringe.
8. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said foil is bonded to said constituent of said syringe via a bonding material.
9. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said foil is bonded to said constituent of said syringe in an area partially surrounding said main part.
10. The package according to claim 1 , wherein said display unit comprises one or more light emitters for emitting light pulses, and wherein said status data is encoded in a sequence of light pulses emitted by said one or more light emitters.
11. A packaged pharmaceutical product, comprising a package according to claim 1 and said pharmaceutical product, wherein said pharmaceutical product is contained in said syringe.
12. A method for manufacturing a package for a pharmaceutical product, the method comprising the steps of
A) providing at least one constituent of a syringe for applying said pharmaceutical product;
B) providing an electronic tag for obtaining information relating to the integrity of said product as assessed from an exposure of said product to physical or environmental conditions during a time span;
the method further comprising the step of
C) attaching said tag to said at least one constituent of said syringe;
wherein said electronic tag comprises a main part and step C) comprises bonding a foil to said at least one constituent of said syringe to hold said main part between itself and said at least on constituent of said syringe.
13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein step C) comprises sandwiching said main part between said foil and said at least one constituent of said syringe.
14. A method for monitoring an integrity of a pharmaceutical product, the method comprising the steps of
a) providing a syringe;
b) providing an electronic tag attached at or to a constituent of said syringe, said syringe comprising a barrel, said barrel containing said pharmaceutical product;
said tag being a tag for obtaining information relating to the integrity of said product as assessed from an exposure of said product to physical or environmental conditions during a time span, the tag comprising a main part comprising an electronics unit comprising
a control unit;
a sensor unit comprising at least one sensor for monitoring said physical or environmental conditions;
a display unit comprising a display for displaying data relating to said integrity referred to as status data;
wherein a foil bonded to said constituent of said syringe holds said main part between itself and said constituent of said syringe.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said constituent of said syringe is a barrel of said syringe or is a constituent of a plunger arrangement of said syringe.